- CSS Essay Course
- Module 1
What a CSS Essay Is
What a CSS essay is: Essay versus report, speech and précis. Read and take apart high-scoring scripts.
By the end of this module you can
- Tell an essay apart from a report, a speech and a guidebook answer
- Name the three parts every examiner looks for
- Recognise the voice of an argument
The 2018 examiner report said many candidates did not understand what distinguishes an essay from other kinds of writing. They wrote reports full of headings, speeches full of exclamations, or guidebook notes strung together. None of these is an essay.
A CSS essay is a sustained argument in continuous prose. It answers one question, takes one position, and proves it over roughly three hours of writing. Every paragraph exists to move that argument forward.
The first is a report: headings and bullet points with no claim. The second states a position and begins to prove it.
- Report: presents information, often under headings. Neutral.
- Speech: addresses an audience directly, uses rhetoric and repetition.
- Précis: compresses someone else's argument.
- Essay: develops your own argument, in paragraphs, towards a judgement.
Activity: Essay or not?
- Pakistan is a country with many problems. In this essay I will discuss them one by one.
- Pakistan's problems are not many but one: a state that collects too little tax to govern well.
- Ladies and gentlemen, today I stand before you to talk about Pakistan's problems!
- PROBLEMS OF PAKISTAN: (i) Economic (ii) Political (iii) Social
Show answer
Pakistan's problems are not many but one: a state that collects too little tax to govern well. — Only the second makes a claim that the rest of the essay can prove. The first announces, the third is a speech, the fourth is a report outline.
- More facts
- A quotation
- Analysis that connects the facts to the thesis
- A heading
Show answer
Analysis that connects the facts to the thesis — Facts are evidence only when you say what they prove. The 2018 report flagged memorised data on CPEC used without argument.
- Introduce a new topic
- Advance one step of the argument
- Contain at least one quotation
- Repeat the thesis
Show answer
Advance one step of the argument — Each paragraph carries one step of the argument. That is what examiners mean by coherence.
- A collection of everything you know about the topic
- A sustained argument that answers one question
- A summary of scholars' views
- A list of problems and solutions
Show answer
A sustained argument that answers one question — Knowledge, scholars and solutions all serve the argument. They are not the essay.
This week's grammar: Subject–verb agreement
The single most common error in CSS scripts. Long subjects hide the real noun, and the verb ends up agreeing with the wrong word.
Open grammar unit 1Deliverable: Annotated model essay
Frequently asked questions
Can I use headings in a CSS essay?
Sub-headings are not required. If you use them, each must be followed by argued paragraphs, not bullet points.
What is the difference between an essay and a report?
A report presents information neutrally, often under headings. An essay develops your own argument towards a judgement.